The Brother
by ellsbells10
Summary: When a ghost from Lux's past shows up, it's a nightmare for her, Bug, Baze and Cate. Contains violence.
1. Ghosts from the Past

Lux was so tired. She was trying not to fall asleep, but her eyelids felt heavy. She'd been with Bug all night and they'd had more, uh, _fun_ things to do than sleep.

She didn't look up as her teacher spoke, "Class, we have a new student today. Please make Brian Smith feel welcome."

It couldn't be him. It just _couldn't_. How many Brian Smiths were there in Oregon, Lux wondered desperately. There had to be more than one. It wasn't that unusual a name.

Lux glanced up and froze in fear as her eyes met his. She knew immediately that it _was_ him.

He hadn't changed at all. He still looked every part the All-American golden boy with light brown hair, a handsome tanned face and the build of a star athlete. His eyes were just as cold as they'd always been, and when he saw her they widened and he grinned slowly.

As soon as the bell rang, Lux grabbed her book bag and raced from the room. But, she wasn't fast enough.

Brian had been watching Lux throughout class and was on her tail as she fled the classroom. It wasn't hard for him to catch her. He was a starter on the football team. "You can run, but you can't hide," he said softly as he fell into step beside her.

Lux swallowed hard, but betrayed no sign of fear when she turned to face him. She raised her eyebrows. "You weren't so tough last time I saw you."

Brian's grin vanished and was replaced with a look of pure hatred and fury. "This time you don't have Bug to save you," he spat out, venom in his voice.

Lux smiled.

He quickly regained his composure, irked that he'd allowed her to get to him, and the cocky grin returned. He put his hand on Lux's lower back as they walked toward the door. His smile widened when he felt her tense up. "You can take the girl out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the girl."

Bad memories swam to the surface when she felt his touch. Lux wanted to scream, but attempted to look unfazed. "What are you doing at Westmonte?"

Brian laughed, knowing the truth would drive Lux crazy. "My football coach accused me of drinking and kicked me off the team. Can you believe it?"

Lux rolled her eyes.

"Neither could my parents," he continued. "When he refused to put me back on the team, they transferred me."

"Some things never change," Lux muttered.

Brian smiled, thrilled at her reaction. His hand slid down lower until he was touching Lux's butt. "See you around," he whispered into her ear.

Lux closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. When she finally regained her composure, she headed for Baze's.

* * *

"Hey." Bug smiled when Lux entered the bar.

Lux returned the smile and kissed Bug. He ran his hand down her back and she couldn't help but stiffen. He drew back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lux lied.

Bug looked unconvinced.

"I just had a bad day," Lux admitted. "I need to talk to Tasha. Can I borrow your bike?"

* * *

"Lux!" Tasha cried happily, running to greet her friend.

Lux broke down crying as soon as she saw her best friend. Tasha hugged Lux and waited, knowing Lux would tell her what was wrong when she was ready.

"Do you remember Brian?" Lux asked when she'd finally stopped crying.

"Kind of hard to forget him," Tasha muttered. "Why?"

"Guess who just transferred to Westmonte?" Lux said dryly.

Tasha bit her lip. "Does Bug know?"

"No, and he can't find out," Lux replied. "Last time Bug saw Brian he ended up in juvie. This time he would go to jail."

"Yeah, Brian rapes you and Bug ends up in juvie," Tasha said furiously.

"He still gets away with everything," Lux grumbled. "You know why he transferred? He got kicked off the football team for drinking."

"Let me guess. He told his parents he didn't do it and they believed him?" Tasha finished.

Fresh tears stung Lux's eyes, as she remembered the injustice of the last time Brian's parents had believed his lies.

**Brian had told her they wouldn't believe her. She remembered his words after the first time he snuck into her room in the middle of the night. "They're **_**my**_** parents. Who are they going to believe? Their son? Or you? You're nothing to them. You're nothing to anyone."**


	2. Lies

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Baze greeted Cate.

"I wanted to pick Lux up before it gets too late," Cate replied, heading toward the stairs.

"What?" Baze frowned. "Lux isn't here."

"Did she already leave?" Cate asked.

"Uh, no, more like she was never here," Baze said, beginning to worry.

"What?" Cate asked, frowning. "She told me she was hanging out with you."

Cate called Lux and sighed when there was no answer. "I don't know why I bothered getting her a cell phone. She never answers it."

"Do you need anything?" Bug asked, appearing in the doorway.

Baze's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, we need something. We need to know where our daughter is."

Bug hesitated. "She's fine. She just went to see Tasha."

"What? But Tasha's three hours away," Cate said.

"How did she get there?" Baze demanded, in Bug's face.

"On my bike," Bug admitted.

"Oh my God! She's driving a motor bike. Without a license. At night," Cate said.

"What? Does she even know how to drive a motor bike? Baze asked.

"Yes, she knows how to drive it!" Bug retorted. "Do you think I'd let her drive it if she didn't? Look, she's fine."

* * *

Lux glanced down at her phone. _Ten missed calls_. She didn't need to listen to the voicemails to figure out that Cate knew she'd lied about hanging out with Baze.

She stopped in a gas station a block away from the bar and washed her face in the dirty bathroom. She didn't want Baze and Cate to see she'd been crying. The cool water felt good on her skin, but did little to hide the fact that she'd been crying. Her eyes were red and swollen.

She contemplated not going home until the morning, but knew it would be worse if she did that. She sighed and headed toward the bar.

"What were you thinking, driving three hours on a motor bike without a license to see Tasha?" Baze confronted Lux as soon as she entered the bar.

"What was I thinking? Maybe that I wanted to see my best friend. It's not my fault she lives three hours away." Lux shot Cate a meaningful look.

Cate sighed.

"You could have been arrested for driving without a license," Baze said firmly.

"But I wasn't," Lux replied.

"Why did you need to see Tasha tonight?" Cate asked curiously, noticing that Lux looked like she'd been crying.

"What? All of the sudden I need a reason to want to see my best friend?" Lux avoided the question.

"It's just, it looks like you've been crying," Cate tried again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lux lied.

"Did something happen at school?" Baze hazarded a guess.

Lux rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. I'm tired. Can we just go home?"

Baze met Cate's eyes. Neither of them believed her. "Let's go," Cate said finally, knowing they couldn't make Lux tell them what was bothering her.

Lux breathed in a sigh of relief. She hadn't expected them to give up so easily. They drove to Cate's in silence with Cate darting glances at Lux's face every once in awhile, searching for answers.

Lux went up to her room as soon as they got home, hoping to avoid Cate.

* * *

Lux swallowed as she got out of Baze's car in front of Westmonte. She never actually liked school. Especially this school, where she was popularly referred to as _Foster Freak_ and _Bong Girl_. But knowing she would see Brian made it even worse. She fought a wave of nausea, thinking about it.

"Hey." Jones smiled.

"Hey." Lux returned the smile, as a thought occurred to her. "How do you feel about ditching? We could hang out."

Jones studied her curiously. He really liked her, but their friendship had been rocky ever since Winter Formal.

"As friends," Lux quickly added.

Jones laughed. "OK, what do you want to do?"

They went back to Jones' house and hung out, playing video games, watching YouTube videos and killing time. "Some of the guys are coming over for lunch. What kind of pizza do you want?" Jones asked, glancing at a text message on his phone.

"Cheese," Lux replied.

They were in the middle of a game of MarioKart when Jones' friends let themselves in. Lux was concentrating on the screen, about to win, when Brian whispered in her ear, "Fancy meeting you here."

Lux jumped, instantly filled with fear at the sound of his voice.

Jones gave her an odd look. "Lux, have you met Brian? He just transferred. He's on the team."

Brian smiled. "Lux and I go way back."

"Really?" Jones asked, wondering if they'd gone out. He frowned at the hint of jealousy he felt for a girl who wasn't even his girlfriend.

"We have English together," Brian explained good-naturedly.

Lux breathed a sigh of relief, not needing the kids at school to hear Brian's version of their history. They already thought she was a big enough freak as it was.

The pizza arrived and they ate and gossiped, Lux watching the clock, eager for an excuse to leave. "I have to go," she finally said, when it was almost time for school to let out.

Jones shot her a questioning look.

"Baze is going to pick me up," Lux explained, heading for the door.

"Baze?" Brian asked.

"Lux's dad," Jones explained.

Lux froze. She hadn't wanted Brian to know about Baze and Cate. Brian smiled and followed her. "I have to go, too. I can give you a ride."

This was Lux's worst nightmare. She was in a car alone with Brian. She hadn't been able to get out of it without making it obvious to Jones that she and Brian _did_ go way back. She flinched when Brian casually slung his arm around her shoulders.

"Someone actually adopted you?" Brian asked.

Lux bit her lip, unsure what to say.

"My parents were actually considering adopting you," Brian said conversationally, "until your psycho boyfriend went crazy and you lied to the cops."

"You're the one who lied," Lux said softly.

Brian laughed cruelly. "That's not what the cops thought."

He stroked her hair. "You know, if you were to start lying again, everyone would still believe me. And your new parents wouldn't want you anymore once they realized what a liar you are," Brian warned.

"No, Brian, your parents are the only ones dumb enough to believe your lies," Lux retorted. She slammed the door and hurried away.

* * *

Lux was surprised to see Cate's Toyota Prius waiting. Usually Baze picked her up from school.

"The school called," Cate said.

Lux said nothing.

"Yeah, they said you missed school today," Cate continued. "You can't keep missing school."

Lux rolled her eyes.

"Where were you?" Cate probed.

"Everyone went to Jones' to hang out." Lux shrugged.

"That's where you were, with Jones?" Cate asked, staring at Lux.

Lux nodded.

Cate sighed. "You weren't with Jones. I saw you. Who were you with?"

"I was with Jones," Lux repeated. "That was just one of Jones' friends. He gave me a ride."

"Is there anything going on between you and Jones' friend?" Cate asked.

"No!" Lux said quickly. "I'm with Bug."

"Has Bug met this friend?" Cate asked uncertainly.

Lux's eyes widened in horror. "Cate, you cannot mention this to Bug."

"So there is something going on between you two?" Cate raised her eyebrows.

"It's complicated," Lux said.

"Lux, it's OK…to have feelings for more than one person," Cate said.

"I don't have feelings for Jones' friend!" Lux cried out.

"OK," Cate said, dropping the subject.


	3. Nightmares

Cate awoke to Lux screaming. She scrambled up the attic stairs. Lux was asleep, but not peacefully. She was writhing around, crying out.

"Lux." Cate touched her gently.

Lux opened her eyes and sat up slowly.

"You had a bad dream," Cate said, rubbing Lux's back comfortingly. "What was it about?"

Lux moved away. "I don't remember," she lied.

"What's going on, Lux? You needed to see Tasha, you'd been crying and now you're having nightmares." Cate studied Lux carefully, watching her reaction.

"Nothing! You're reading too much into this," Lux maintained, looking down.

Cate sighed. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Cate could hear Lux sobbing softly from her bedroom. She wanted to go to her, but knew Lux would only push her away.

* * *

"Are you feeling OK?" Cate asked awkwardly when Lux came to the breakfast table.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lux lied.

"Baze wants you to hang out with him tonight," Cate lied. Cate had called Baze and asked him to see if he could figure out what was bothering Lux and he'd reluctantly agreed.

"OK." Lux smiled.

* * *

"Hey." Brian grinned and slid into the chair next to Lux in the cafeteria. He slid the chair right next to her, so their legs were touching.

Lux stiffened, but knew it would be too noticeable if she moved away with Jones and everyone else there.

"How'd you do on the math test?" Jones asked Lux.

Lux felt Brian's hand caressing her thigh and felt sick. She realized Jones was staring at her expectantly. "Uh, good."

"I think I failed it. My dad's gonna kill me," Jones said regretfully.

Lux smiled sympathetically. "I'm full," she said picking up her tray. "See you later."

"You barely ate." Jones laughed.

Lux shrugged. She emptied her tray and hurried away.

* * *

Lux looked up when she heard footsteps and realized Brian had followed her into the empty hallway. He pinned her against a locker, laughing at the fear in her eyes.

Brian released her suddenly when he heard other kids coming toward them. She raced for the bathroom. She hid out in the girl's room all afternoon, knowing it was one of the only places Brian couldn't get to her. She jumped in Baze's car as soon as the bell rang, grateful that he was on time.

"Hey." Baze grinned.

"Hey." Lux gave him a small smile.

He could tell she'd been crying, but decided to ease into questioning her. "How do you feel about bowling?"

"Like it's the perfect activity for middle aged men," Lux said sarcastically.

"Middle aged men and us," Baze retorted.

They exchanged good-natured insults at the bowling alley. They ate nachos and popcorn. Lux had almost forgotten about Brian. "Thanks, Baze," she said gratefully. "This was just what I needed."

"Yeah, Cate said you've been kinda down lately," Baze said carefully. "What's going on?"

Lux rolled her eyes. "You know Cate. Always overreacting."

"Is that all it is?" Baze asked.

"Yeah." Lux smiled reassuringly. "If something was really wrong, I wouldn't be able to kick your butt in bowling."

Baze laughed. "True story."

* * *

"Where's Lux?" Cate asked, as she entered the bar.

"She fell asleep," Baze replied. "I meant to call you and tell you. She can crash here tonight."

"Did you find out what's bothering her?" Cate asked anxiously.

Baze shook his head. "It looked like she'd been crying when I picked her up. But she said nothing's wrong."

"Something's wrong," Cate insisted. "She's having nightmares."

"Who's having nightmares?" Bug interrupted, emerging from the stock room.

"Lux." Baze frowned.

Bug made a face. "She hasn't had nightmares since…"

"Since when?" Cate demanded.

"If you know what's wrong, you need to tell us." Baze gave Bug a hard look.

"I don't know what's wrong," Bug assured Baze. "But Lux always had nightmares when she was living with really bad foster families. That's the only time she's ever had nightmares. This doesn't make any sense."

Cate swallowed, fighting back tears. Hearing how bad Lux's life had been always made her sick.

"Hey, maybe we should call Abbey," Baze suggested.

Cate glared at him.

"What? She's a therapist. Nightmares seems up her alley," Baze reasoned.

"If it'll help Lux," Cate relented.

"Can I, uh, stay here tonight?" Bug asked awkwardly.

"No!" Cate and Baze said in unison.

"If she's having nightmares, she'll feel safer if I'm here," Bug explained.

"I'm here." Baze frowned.

* * *

Baze awoke to Lux screaming and hurried to her makeshift room. Tears streaked her face as she tossed and turned miserably. Baze shook her. "Lux, wake up. You're having a bad dream."

Lux shot up and Baze backed away awkwardly.

"Rough night?" He asked.

Lux nodded and forced herself to smile. "Sorry I woke you. I'm fine now."

Baze hesitated.

"I promise," Lux said.

Baze nodded and went back to bed.

* * *

Cate and Abbey arrived with coffee and donuts before Lux woke up. "She had another nightmare," Baze said, grabbing a donut.

"Do I smell donuts?" Math appeared, Jaime close behind.

"Dude." Jaime looked at Baze. "Lux screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night is a huge turnoff for hot chicks."

"I know." Baze frowned. "We're working on it."

"What's going on?" Lux emerged from her bedroom, surprised to see Cate and Abbey.

"Hi, Lux." Abbey smiled cheerfully.

"Hi," Lux said coldly. Abbey wasn't exactly her favorite person.

"Baze and Cate say you've been having nightmares," Abbey said carefully.

Lux crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"We just want to help you," Abbey said.

"I don't need _your_ help," Lux retorted.

"Lux," Cate said reproachfully.

"What? How many times do I have to tell you guys I'm fine?" Lux shouted.

"You're not fine," Baze corrected, ruffling her hair affectionately. "And we're worried about you, Kiddo."

"No one needs to be worried," Lux shot back. "I'm more damaged than you think. I have nightmares sometimes. So what?"

Lux stormed off.


	4. The Ugly Truth

"Tasha, I've been calling you all day," Bug said when Tasha finally answered the phone.

"What's up?" Tasha asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Bug replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tasha lied.

"Why did Lux need to talk to you the other night?" Bug demanded.

Tasha sighed. "I promised not to tell you."

"Yeah, well, Lux is having nightmares. Cate and Baze are freaking out. I want to know what the hell is going on," Bug said angrily.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to do anything stupid?" Tasha asked.

"Yeah." Bug frowned.

"Do you remember Brian?" Tasha asked.

"Brian Smith?" Bug spat the name out, his hands balling into fists.

"Yeah. He just transferred to Lux's school," Tasha admitted.

"Has he touched her?" Bug growled.

"I don't think he's raped her again, but he's been giving her a really hard time," Tasha replied.

* * *

"Where's Lux?" Bug asked as he entered the bar.

"We thought she was with you. She got mad and she took off," Baze said.

Bug punched the wall in frustration. "I really need to talk to her."

"Hey, what's going on?" Baze asked, frowning.

Bug hesitated. "I know why Lux is having nightmares. When she was fourteen, she was placed with a foster family. They had a son, Brian Smith." It was clear Bug hated Brian from his tone of voice.

Baze and Cate looked at Bug expectantly.

"Brian is not even human. What he did to Lux…" Bug broke off.

"What? What did he do to Lux?" Baze asked.

Bug shook his head. "You need to ask Lux."

* * *

"Ask me what?" Lux said.

They all looked up and saw her standing in the doorway.

"You should have told me." Bug glared at her. "Has he touched you? If he's touched you, I'm going to kill him."

Lux looked at Bug and saw murder in his eyes. She couldn't believe Tasha had told him. "No!" Lux said quickly. "He hasn't done anything. And you need to stay away from him."

"No." Bug shook his head.

"Bug, you were sixteen last time and you ended up in juvie. You need to stay away from him or you'll end up in jail," Lux warned.

"Jail? What are we talking about?" Cate asked.

"_We're_ not talking about anything," Lux muttered.

"Yes, we are," Baze said firmly, grabbing Lux's arm before she could take off again.

"It's not any of your business," Lux protested.

"Not any of our business? The reason our kid is having nightmares isn't any of our business?" Baze said, hurt.

"It doesn't have anything to do with you!" Lux retorted.

"If you don't tell them, I will," Bug finally broke in.

Lux glared at Bug, tears stinging her eyes. "Fine. When I was fourteen, I was with a foster family. Their son was a jerk."

"Lux, what did he do to you?" Cate asked.

Lux shook her head.

Cate grabbed Lux's shoulder and looked at her. "What did he do to you?" She asked again.

"He came into my room. Every night," Lux said, tears streaming down her face.

"The jackhole raped her," Bug snarled.

Baze's hands balled into fists. "Where is this punk?"

"Did you tell anyone?" Cate wondered, rubbing Lux's back comfortingly.

"Bug. Bug beat the crap out of him, put him in the hospital. I told the cops he was protecting me, that Brian had been…hurting me," Lux replied.

"Well then, why isn't Brian in jail where he belongs?" Baze snarled.

"They didn't believe me. Brian said it was consensual." Lux shrugged. "Who do you think they believed?"

"How could this happen? How could they just not believe you?" Cate cried out.

Bug rolled his eyes. "Who would you believe? The golden boy or the reject foster kids?"

Cate bit her lip, fighting back tears. She hated that Lux had to go through so much.

"So now this kid is what, going to school with you?" Baze spat out.

"Lux, has he touched you again?" Cate asked.

Lux shook her head. "You guys need to drop this. He hasn't touched me again. No one will believe me if he does anyway."

"Lux, we'll believe you," Cate said. "We will believe you."

"And this time I'll put him in a casket instead of a hospital bed," Bug threatened.


	5. The Injustice of It All

"I wonder if Math can get this punk's address from the school," Baze said, once Lux had fallen asleep.

They'd given her one of Cate's sleeping pills. They'd even allowed Bug to lie down next to her, with the stipulation that they kept the shower curtains open. They just wanted her to feel safe and comfortable.

"Yeah, then you and I can pay this kid a visit and make him wish he'd never been born," Jaime chimed in.

"Or we could handle this like adults," Cate said pointedly, rolling her eyes. "I'll call Fern on Monday and find out what happened, why he wasn't arrested when Lux reported it."

* * *

"Cate? This is Fern," Fern's voice said over the phone. "How can I help you?"

Cate relayed the story Lux had told them, fighting back tears.

"I wasn't Lux's case worker at the time," Fern said. "Let me look through her file. Ah, yes, she was placed with the Smiths for three months from September 2008 to November 2008. She was moved back to Sunnyvale after she accused their son, Brian, of rape."

"Why didn't Brian go to jail?" Cate asked angrily.

"It was a case of he said she said. There was no evidence. Brian's record was clean. Lux and Bug's were not. The police believed Lux was lying to protect Bug from going to juvenile hall after he attacked Brian," Fern explained.

"She's _not_ lying!" Cate defended her daughter, frustration evident in her voice. "She's been having nightmares every night since this Brian transferred to her school. I just, I don't know what to do. Should we get a restraining order?"

"I'm afraid no judge will grant you a restraining order without proof of wrongdoing," Fern replied.

"So, that's it? We can't do anything." Cate sighed in frustration.

"I wish I could tell you differently," Fern said sadly.

"Thank you," Cate replied, hanging up the phone and slamming it down on the table.

* * *

Baze had been listening, watching her and could tell the conversation hadn't gone well. He balled his hands into fists. "We tried it your way. Now we try it my way."

"Lux." Cate looked up. "How long have you been there?"

They'd decided to keep Lux home from school on Monday. They didn't want her anywhere near Brian until they figured out what to do. They thought she was sleeping.

"Long enough," Lux replied. She joined them at the kitchen table. She sighed. "I should never have told you guys."

"What?" Cate asked, horrified. "Don't say that. I'm glad you told us. You can tell us anything."

"Now you're worried and there's nothing we can do about it," Lux muttered.

"Hey." Baze tipped Lux's chin up and looked into her eyes. "We're going to figure this thing out."

"I don't want you to! Just leave it alone," Lux cried out.

Baze made a face. "We can't do that, Kiddo."

"What are you going to do?" Lux demanded. "If you touch him, you'll end up in jail."

Baze shook his head. "Nah."

"Yes! Bug did! What makes you think you'll be any different? You just, you don't get it. You guys had a kid at sixteen. Brian's dad is a hotshot lawyer and his mom's practically a Stepford Wife. Who do you think the cops will believe?" Lux said.

"I have an idea," Bug interrupted. He'd stayed on the couch. They knew Lux wanted him there, but they didn't trust Lux and Bug alone in the attic.

Bug moved behind Lux and put his arms around her protectively. He turned her to face him. "Tasha said he's been giving you a really hard time. What's he done?"

Lux's brow creased with worry. "Nothing."

"Just tell me," Bug insisted. "I promise I won't get in trouble." _He won't be able to testify against me by the time I'm done with him_, Bug added silently.

"He's just…said things," Lux mumbled.

"What kinds of things, Lux?" Cate asked, concerned.

"_You can run but you can't hide_," Lux recalled the first thing he'd said to her.

"That's a threat," Cate said angrily.

"What else?" Bug asked.

"He said if I started lying again, they'd all still believe him," Lux mumbled.

"Has he ever actually said what he did?" Bug asked.

"No." Lux frowned. "He just makes suggestive comments and…" Lux broke off. She knew if she told Bug that Brian had grabbed her butt or caressed her thigh, he would lose it. His promise would be forgotten entirely.

"And what?" Cate demanded. She grabbed Lux's shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Nothing," Lux mumbled, looking down.

"No, it's not nothing, Lux," Cate said firmly, holding Lux still.

"He just, he grabbed my butt and touched my thigh," Lux admitted, watching Bug carefully for his reaction.

Bug clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists, clearly ready for a fight. Noticing the look of alarm on Lux's face, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I have an idea. If we can get him on camera messing with you, the cops will have to believe us." He motioned toward his camera phone.

"No, we are not using Lux as…as bait for this creep," Cate said firmly.

"Actually, Cate, it's not a bad idea," Baze said slowly. "If we can get evidence, this punk will go to jail. Where he belongs."

"No!" Cate glared at Baze, hands on her hips.

"Does anyone care what I want?" Lux asked.

They all turned toward her expectantly.

"I want to do it," she continued.

"It's too dangerous," Cate replied, horrified.

"How is it dangerous? He's already hurt me! What else can he do?" Lux cried out. "At least this way he gets what he deserves."

Tears stung Cate's eyes. "Fine," she finally said, realizing it was three against one.


	6. Not Everything Goes According to Plan

They ordered pizza for lunch and worked out a plan. Lux knew if she gave Brian an opportunity to approach her alone, he'd fall right into their trap. They couldn't make it too obvious, though. Brian knew Lux would never willingly be alone with him.

On Tuesday morning, Baze dropped Lux off at school early. They met Math in his classroom. They carefully set up a Nanny Cam Baze had bought the night before.

"This thing is awesome." Baze gestured to his new toy. It looked like an ordinary book and wouldn't draw attention in the classroom, but it had a little camera inside.

* * *

Lux struggled to go through the motions of an ordinary day. She fidgeted during class, anxiously waiting for English with Math.

During lunch, Brian sat next to her again, moving his chair close, running his hand up and down her thigh. She swallowed, trying not to cry. His touch made her feel so dirty.

Lux stopped in the bathroom before English. She took a deep breath and splashed water on her face, trying to calm down. She was bundle of nerves. She collected herself and hurried to English.

"Today we are going to be reading _Romeo and Juliet_ in pairs," Math announced. "Listen up for your partner."

Math rattled off names. He locked eyes with Lux. "Lux Cassidy and Brian Smith."

Brian smiled and glanced at Lux.

She glared at him icily in return.

Math finished pairing students off and everyone shuffled around to sit next to their partner. Lux didn't move. Brian headed for her. She was purposely sitting right next to the Nanny Cam.

"Juliet." Brian grinned at her, taking a seat beside her for the second time that day.

"Let's get this over with," Lux grumbled.

Math watched them carefully, waiting for an excuse to make them both stay after class. He walked around the room, checking on other students, but staring intently at Lux the whole time.

Brian laughed. "Ironic, isn't it? The Capulets and the Montagues hated each other, but Romeo and Juliet didn't let it get in the way of true love."

"My parents hate you for lying," Brian continued.

"You're the one who lied," Lux said, hoping to provoke him into an admission of guilt.

"Prove it," Brian dared her.

Lux glared at him in return.

"That's what I thought." Brian laughed softly. "You're not as dumb as you look. You learned your lesson. No one will _ever_ believe you over me. I mean, look at you."

From the look on Lux's face, Math could tell Brian was not discussing the reading with her. He hurried over and cleared his throat. "I said to read the play, not to have social hour. You two can both stay after class and write a summary of the play."

Brian smiled, thrilled at the opportunity for time alone with Lux.

When Math moved on, Brian continued, "You wouldn't lie again, would you, Lux? You wouldn't want to risk your new adoptive parents finding out what a liar you are. At least they're only stuck with you for two years."

Lux stared at him blankly.

"You're sixteen. In two years, you're an adult," Brian explained.

"Funny, for someone who's almost an adult, you sure don't act like it," Lux retorted.

The bell rang and the other students gathered their things and hurried out. Lux and Brian remained seated. Math approached them. "I'll be in my office grading papers. Turn your summaries in to me before you leave."

They'd planned for Math to make it obvious that he was leaving them alone. They wanted Brian to feel free to make his move.

* * *

"Looks like it's just you and me." Brian grinned when the door closed behind Math. He stroked her hair.

"Don't touch me!" Lux recoiled. Baze and Cate had instructed her to make sure she told him no, so there could be no question of whether it was consensual or not.

Brian laughed. "You used to like it."

"It's kind of hard to enjoy it when you only last five minutes." Lux rolled her eyes. She wanted to provoke him.

Brian's expression hardened instantly. He glared at Lux, his eyes dangerous. "You must be confusing me with someone else. It must be hard for a slut like you to keep track of all your boyfriends. I'll remind you how good I am. I'll make sure you never forget this time."

Lux stood up and crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly. "No! Stay the hell away from me."

Brian grabbed her arms hard enough to leave bruises. "I forgot, you like it rough." He tore her shirt open.

* * *

Outside the door, Baze, Cate and Bug were waiting. They wanted to make sure they got enough on camera to put Brian away, but they also wanted to make sure he didn't hurt Lux again.

Baze and Bug looked remarkably similar. Both clenched their jaws and balled their hands into fists, clearly ready for a fight.

"That's enough," Bug snarled.

He and Baze burst into the room at the same time. "Get the hell away from her!" Baze growled.

Brian looked up in shock, and backed up.

Bug advanced on Brian.

"Bug, no!" Lux cried, stepping in between him and Brian.

"Move!" Bug warned her.

Baze grabbed Bug and held him back, not wanting the kid to go to jail a second time for protecting Lux.

Lux smiled at him gratefully, and shied away from Brian.

As soon as Lux moved out of the way, Baze moved forward and punched Brian hard. They heard Brian's nose break.

Math entered with the school police officer.

Brian quickly regained his composure, smirking. "Excuse me, Officer, these two guys just attacked me." He gestured toward Bug. "He's attacked me before. I have a restraining order against him."

"Save it," Baze snarled. "We have it all on tape." He grabbed the Nanny Cam and handed it to the officer. "This punk assaulted my daughter."


	7. Just Desserts

The video footage confirmed Baze's version of events, and relief washed over Lux as she watched the cop read Brian his Miranda rights and cuff him. After all this time, he was finally getting what he deserved.

Brian glared at Lux, as the cop led him away. "You'll pay for this."

Cate reached for Lux, wanting to comfort her. Lux instinctively backed away.

Lux noticed Cate's pained expression. "I'm sorry, Cate."

"She doesn't like to be touched," Bug explained. "Not after…" He broke off, too angry to finish the sentence.

Tears stung Cate's eyes. She swallowed hard, realizing how damaged Lux truly was. She couldn't help but feel like none of this would have happened if she'd kept Lux.

Lux watched Cate fight back tears guiltily. "It's not you, Cate. I couldn't even stand for Bug touch me after."

Bug nodded. "That's how I knew something was wrong. She freaked out when I tried to kiss her."

Cate nodded sympathetically, wanting more than anything to be there for Lux but understanding she couldn't.

Cate handed her jacket to Lux. Lux's shirt was ripped open. Lux accepted it and offered Cate a small smile.

* * *

After Lux fell asleep, Cate called Abbey. "It is normal?" She asked anxiously, after telling Abbey what had happened.

"Yes, it's normal for rape victims not to want to be touched," Abbey replied.

"What should I do?" Cate asked.

Abbey sighed. "Rape has long-term effects. There isn't a quick fix. Talking about it can help. Lux opened up to you guys. That's a start. Think how long she kept that inside. Rape victims often blame themselves. It's important that Lux understands this is not her fault. You might want to consider therapy."

"Thanks," Cate said before hanging up.

* * *

Cate joined Baze on the couch. He had ice on his hand. It was sore from hitting Brian so hard. Cate reached for his hand, holding it gently.

"What are we gonna do?" Baze asked.

"The only thing we can do," Cate replied. "Be there for her."

They both looked up, surprised when they heard the doorbell. "Hello?" Cate opened the door and saw a man and a woman she didn't recognize.

Baze appeared behind Cate, draping an arm over her shoulders protectively.

"Is Lux here?" The woman asked nervously.

"Who wants to know?" Baze demanded.

"My name is Ann. Ann Smith," she began.

Baze's face contorted with rage. Cate glared at Ann.

"This is my husband, Jack," she continued hesitantly.

Baze stepped out onto the front porch, shutting the door behind him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"We wanted to talk to Lux. To apologize to her," Jack said quietly.

"There's no way you're talking to her," Baze said firmly.

"Please?" Ann pleaded desperately.

"You think an apology can make up for what your son did?" Baze spat out.

"No, of course not. Nothing can make up for that," Ann said quietly. "But, we want a chance to apologize. Not just for what Brian did, but for what we did as well."

"What did you do?" Baze demanded furiously.

"You have to understand, we thought she was lying," Ann explained, looking down at the ground in shame. "Her boyfriend put Brian in the hospital. All of a sudden, she comes out with this story that Brian raped her."

"We thought she was lying to protect her boyfriend. Not just us, the police, too," Jack said defensively.

"What did you do?" Baze asked again, venom in his voice.

"The things we said to her…" Ann broke off, clearly embarrassed. "We screamed at her."

**

* * *

Lux was sitting in the police station by herself. She'd been talking to the detective for over an hour. She was tired.**

**The detective kept asking her questions, challenging her. Lux could tell he didn't believe her. He was trying to poke holes in her story. **

**When she mixed up details, the detective smiled, almost triumphantly.**

**He'd finally left her alone. She sat on the hard plastic chair, staring at her shoelaces. Bug's voice caught her attention and she glanced up.**

"**Get your hands off me!" Bug said.**

**Lux watched an officer grab his arm roughly and lead him toward an interrogation room. "Temper, temper," the officer warned. "That's what got you in trouble in the first place."**

**Lux met Bug's eyes helplessly, hating that he was here because of her. She looked up when Jack and Ann burst into the room.**

"**You ungrateful little brat," Ann said, advancing on Lux.**

**Lux shrank back in her chair.**

"**We take you into our home when no one else will and this is how you repay us!" She screamed shrilly. "You endanger the welfare of our son with your lies and try to ruin his life with false accusations!"**

"**I'm not lying," Lux replied, her voice small. She tried not to cry.**

**Jack shook his head. "You try to do a good thing, to help someone out, but some people are just beyond help. It was too late by the time we got you. You were already trash."**

**Lux was used to foster parents treating her badly, but this was different. She'd actually liked the Smiths. Ann and Jack had always been really nice to her. If it weren't for Brian, no, Lux couldn't allow her to think about that. **

**She'd been hoping they would adopt her, but she knew that would never happen now. "I'm sorry," Lux said, not knowing what else to say.**

"**Not as sorry as you're going to be!" Ann shot back. She slapped Lux hard across the face.**

**Lux had been hit before, but she wasn't expecting it from Ann. She staggered backward in shock. **

**A cop rushed into the room, standing between Lux and the Smiths.**

"**We're her foster parents," Jack explained cooly. "But we don't want anything to do with her. You can find somewhere else for her to stay. Might I recommend juvenile hall?"**

**He turned on his heel and he and Ann left. The cop looked at Lux unsympathetically, assuming the worst without even knowing what had happened. "Who's your social worker?" He demanded.**

**Lux mumbled the name.**

"**Try to stay out of trouble," the cop said harshly, before leaving to make the call.**

**Lux sat there alone, unable to fight back tears any longer. She cried quietly to herself. She didn't know how long she sat there, miserable, when her social worker, Nancy, arrived.**

"**Lux?" Nancy touched her shoulder gently. **

**Lux recoiled.**

**Nancy sighed. "Let's go. I'm taking you back to Sunnyvale."**

"**Is Bug OK?" Lux asked, wiping tears from her eyes.**

"**Bobby?" Nancy asked.**

**Lux nodded.**

"**He's been arrested for assault and battery. They're transporting him to juvenile hall."**

"**He was just protecting me," Lux protested.**

**Nancy raised her eyebrows. "The police don't seem to think so. And, honestly, Lux, neither do I. You've been in and out of seven foster homes. There's always a problem." **

**Lux stared at the ground silently.**

"**I have a hard time believing all seven families were bad. The only commonality is you," Nancy continued, glaring at Lux. "Now let's go."**

**Lux swallowed and followed Nancy out to her car sadly. Brian had been right. No one believed her. She wished she'd kept her mouth shut. Now Bug was in trouble, and it was all her fault.**

* * *

Baze listened to Jack and Ann recount what had transpired between them and Lux two years ago and it took all he had not to deck Jack. He kept reminding himself that their kid was in jail.

"The answer's no. You can't see Lux. Your whole family had better stay far away from her," Baze said coolly.

"Don't you think she deserves to know that we're sorry?" Ann asked. "Whether she forgives us or not is up to her."

Baze struggled. His instinct was to keep everyone who had hurt Lux away from her. But, he wondered if hearing that they believed her now and regretted treating her badly would make Lux feel any better.

"You can talk to her tomorrow," Baze finally decided. "You can meet us at Open Bar at six o'clock."

* * *

"Hey, Kiddo," Baze greeted Lux when she sat down at the breakfast table. He ruffled her hair, an affectionate habit, but Lux jerked away. He backed away awkwardly.

Cate brought Lux a bowl of cereal and sat on the other side of her. "We want to talk to you. About something that happened last night."

Lux bit her lip. "Did they release Brian?"

"No, that toolbox is in jail where he belongs," Baze said.

"But, his parents, they stopped by last night," Cate continued.

"What?" Lux's eyes widened in horror.

Cate instinctively reached for Lux, but quickly withdrew her hand, remembering Lux's reaction last time she touched her.

"Yeah, they want to apologize to you," Baze said, frowning. "They're coming by the bar tonight at six."

Lux nodded.

"Lux?" Cate looked at Lux, watching her reaction. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"It's fine," Lux mumbled.

"Baze and I, we'll be with you the whole time," Cate said gently.

"Thanks." Lux smiled.

Cate hesitated. "We also want you to talk to someone. About what happened to you."

"I told you what happened," Lux replied.

"We were thinking more along the lines of a professional," Baze explained.

"Like a shrink?" Lux asked, clearly less than thrilled at the prospect. "No!"

"I know it's hard to talk about." Cate swallowed, trying not to cry. "But you need to talk someone."

"If you make me go, I won't talk," Lux said.

"You know, when we had to go to therapy with Fern, it helped you. You finally told me how you felt, moved back in," Cate tried again.

Lux realized Cate was right. "I guess it can't hurt. But _not_ with Abbey!"

Baze cracked a smile.

Cate nodded agreeably.

* * *

"Are you OK?" Bug asked.

They were sitting on Lux's bed talking. The Smiths would be there any second.

"I don't know." Lux shook her head. "I don't want to see them, but I kind of want to hear what they have to say, you know?"

Bug nodded.

After a moment, he grinned. "Think they want to apologize to me, too?"

Lux laughed. "Probably not, considering you put their son in the hospital."

She kissed Bug gently. "Thank you," she whispered. "I can't thank you enough for what you did for me back then."

Bug pulled away and gave Lux a hard look. "You don't have to thank me. I'd do it again in a second. I _would've_ done it again yesterday if Baze hadn't stopped me."

"No, I know," Lux said, "But I hate that you went to juvie because of me."

Bug tipped Lux's chin up, meeting her eyes. "I didn't go to juvie because of you. It's not your fault. That Brian hurt you…that I did what I did."

Lux put her arms around him, feeling so safe in his arms. She hated to break away, but she knew she needed to go downstairs.

"Do you want me to come?" Bug asked.

"No." Lux shook her head.

* * *

Lux joined Cate on the couch. Baze showed Jack and Ann to the living room. They sat down in the recliners. Baze sat on the other side of Lux.

"Lux, I can't tell you how sorry we are," Ann began. "What Brian did to you is unforgivable. What we said to you is inexcusable."

Lux crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"We're not looking for forgiveness," Ann continued. "But, we felt that you deserved to know that we know you were telling the truth."

Lux looked up, surprised. Jack and Ann had always been quick to come to Brian's rescue. She'd half expected them to claim the video footage of Brian was doctored.

Jack nodded in agreement. "It's hard to hear that your son is, well…" He trailed off, not sure what to say. "It's hard to believe. We wouldn't have believed anyone two years ago. It wasn't anything personal. Hell, I think we had to see it to believe it."

Ann hesitated. "We also thought you deserved to know that we were considering adopting you before the, er, incident."

Cat put her arm around Lux's should possessively. She was surprised when Lux leaned in, moving closer to Cate. This was the first time Lux had allowed Cate to touch her since Brian hurt her.

"It looks like you found a good home, people who really care about you." Jack nodded toward Baze and Cate. "We're happy for you. Good luck."

"Wait," Lux said, as Ann and Jack started for the door. They turned to her, surprised.

Cate reached for Lux's hand.

"Thank you for coming here. I'm glad I heard you out. But, it's not OK and I don't forgive you. I deserved to be treated better than how you guys treated me. And Brian deserves what he got," Lux said.

They nodded apprehensively. "We understand," Ann said quietly.

"There's someone else you owe an apology to," Lux said harshly.

Ann looked up curiously.

"Bug," Lux said, rolling her eyes. "Or did you forget? He spent a year in juvie because everyone believed Brian's lies!"

Bug heard his name and joined them, glaring at Ann and Jack.

Ann stiffened, clearly uncomfortable.

Baze put his arm on Bug's shoulder supportively. "Lux is right. Bug deserves an apology, too."

"He attacked Brian," Jack said coldly.

"Brian attacked her," Bug snarled, motioning toward Lux.

As the truth of his words hit them, Jack and Ann both reddened in shame. "You're right." Jack finally nodded. "I'm sorry you got in trouble. Our son was the one who deserved to be punished."

Bug nodded.

* * *

Cate sat down on Lux's bed and studied her. "Would you have wanted to be adopted by them?"

"What?" Lux asked, surprised.

"You know, if they had wanted to adopt you?" Cate explained.

Lux shrugged. "I don't know. They were one of the better foster families I stayed with."

The fact hit Cate like a bucket of cold water. She felt a new sense of guilt, having seen one of the families Lux had to be with. Lux was right-she deserved better.

"But I always wanted to be with you. I used to dream that my parents would come back and get me." Lux shook her head. "Fern thought I was crazy."

Cate hugged Lux close, smiling when Lux hugged her back instead of backing away.


End file.
